Response from Dove/Unilever
Just thought I would share this.
Upon researching about dove and unilever (whose products I used for years) and learning that they participate in animal testing, I sent them a little message (almost as an afterthought) after I threw my deodorants and soaps in the trash.
My message:
A product campaigning for real beauty shouldn't be connected
to the use of animal products or animal testing and abuse, which is
ugly. If your products do not test on animals or use animal ingredients
or by-products you should advertise it on the product itself. That would
be truly beautiful.
Their response:
Dear Miriam,
This responds to your recent inquiry regarding Unilever's policy on
animal testing. We recognize the concern of organizations such as PETA
and individuals such as you, with respect to this very complicated and
complex issue. Globally, Unilever is committed to the elimination of
animal testing. We would like to take this opportunity to outline our
initiatives in this area and the significant progress we have made
toward meeting this goal.
Our position is, and has historically been, that we do not test any
finished products on animals except where required by government
regulation. In such cases, as part of our ongoing commitment to
eliminate animal testing, we encourage the local authorities to change
these regulations. In addition, we do not use animal testing when there
is an accepted alternative test or existing information available to
evaluate the health impact and safety of our products. In further
pursuit of this goal, Unilever has committed a significant amount of
time, effort and funding to developing acceptable, non-animal
alternatives:
- Unilever currently spends approximately $4 million per year globally
to develop novel risk assessment approaches to assure safety without
animal testing, such as the development of biological and computer-based
modeling techniques. We believe these technologies will help replace
animal testing altogether.
- One of the major barriers to eliminating animal testing is the very
deliberate pace at which government authorities approve such
alternatives. In 2005, Unilever helped launch the European Partnership
for Alternative Approaches to Animal Testing (EPAA). The aim of this
initiative by the European Commission and industry is to increase and
coordinate efforts to significantly accelerate the rate at which
alternatives are agreed to, validated and put into practice. The
organization communicates regularly with a mirror group that includes
animal welfare organizations. Its goal is to ensure that every
opportunity is taken to refine, reduce and replace the use of animals.
- In the U.S. and elsewhere in the world, we continue to support the
passage of legislation that promotes the elimination of animal testing
through the development and acceptance of alternative methods.
As soon as non-animal alternatives are validated and accepted by
government authorities, they are accepted by us along with the many
companies and organizations with whom we collaborate.
We appreciate that you contacted us about this issue and we thank you
for your comments.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Unilever
what i find bewildering is how could actual people, a.k.a human beings, be paid off to conduct testing and experiments on animals? If there is something that needs to be tested due to suspicion of toxicity it shouldn't be used at all! ESPECIALLY FOR THINGS LIKE SOAP AND DEODORANT! :confused:
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Well, they are working towards eliminating animal testing. That's a good thing as far as I can see. Hopefully soon they will not use animals to test their products at all.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Wow I didn't know they were doing so much work on eliminating animal testing! It's great that they replied and let you know about what they're doing. I think this is a great step. The next part is working on the government laws around testing.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
yes i am surprised that they did a response! I guess I wasn't looking at the bright side, lol. of course it's wonderful that they're trying to eliminate it, i wrote that thinking about soap and deodorant and common things like that that can be made without products that need testing.
one part that made me think was this.
"In such cases, as part of our ongoing commitment to
eliminate animal testing, we encourage the local authorities to change
these regulations. "
i wonder if there are petitions for this or if this is something individuals can affect locally in their area.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Something I don't understand is, if tons of other companies can make beauty products without testing on animals (Kiss My Face, Nature's Gate, etc), why is Dove forced to test on animals because of regulations? Is it because of the ingredients they use? And if so, why not use ingredients that don't have to be tested on animals? Personally, I think that if their ingredients are so questionable that they have to be controlled by government regulations, maybe it wouldn't be a good thing to change the regulations to make it easier to include these ingredients in their products. Maybe the regulations should be changed to ban these ingredients. Of course no one would ever go that far, it would be too much of an inconvenience to the corporations that manufacture these questionable products :mad:
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
I don't believe them. Sure they are lieing. I see the message they sent to you like other kind of advertising. They don't care animals,they only want money.And they have got good liers working to them.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
It may be a problem for multinational companies trying to sell a product globally, when there are different regulations in different countries. If Country A doesn't demand animal testing but Country B does, and you want to sell your product in both countries, you will have to test it. You cannot pretend to customers in Country A that you didn't test it. Until there is international agreement on animal testing, it's better to look for small, independent companies that definitively state that they do not test.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
I sent them an email a while back wondering if they test on animals, and received a simular response... personally i thought they were making up excuses and trying to get me to buy their products.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Yes I was just looking back at my records from 3 years ago....and I received something very similar way back then.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
I suppose a follow up question would be to ask for a list of what tests they have done. Or at least a list of number and types of test. And some proof that they were reducing testing.
I wouldn't hold your breath on getting quantitative answers, but asking would make them realise they can't just fob you off with wishy washy marketing replies.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Our AR group have held demos against unilever many many times. They also require a large police presense which means they have something to hide. I do not buy any of their products including food which is dietry vegan. Good for them if they are working to end animal testing but they are certainly not "my friends at Unilever" until none of their products are tested on animals and are all vegan.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
As far as I am aware Dove contains animal derivatives anyway (bovine), so I doubt they give a damn about animal suffering.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Quote:
snufkin
- Unilever currently spends approximately $4 million per year globally
to develop novel risk assessment approaches to assure safety without
animal testing, such as the development of biological and computer-based
modeling techniques. We believe these technologies will help replace
animal testing altogether.
Quote:
ellaminowpea
Wow I didn't know they were doing so much work on eliminating animal testing! It's great that they replied and let you know about what they're doing. I think this is a great step. The next part is working on the government laws around testing.
bollocks
Unilever had (according to wikipedia) a revenue of 62,000 million in 2005.
That's 0.006% that they spend on researching non animal testing techniques.
To put it into perspective further: in 1999 their estimated spend on advertising was 3,700 million - 92500% more than on the research. In 2002 that was over 4,000 million (link) or 100000% more.
If they really cared (i.e. more than the cost of a few adverts during football matches) and weren't just doing it for PR then they'd spend a lot more than 4 million.
I can't see my 9 year boycott of unilever ending any time soon.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
I boycott all Unilever products (having found much nicer alternatives to marmite) this wasn't because of animal testing as I only buy vegan soap/shampoo etc but because they purchase unsustainable palm oil from Indonesian rainforest for use in Dove products. This has led to a very real threat of Urang utans becoming extinct in the wild. I think that's a good a reason as any to totally boycott this brand. I hate multinational companies that put profit above people, animals or the environment.
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
I'm sure you can search for more detailed information
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Re: Response from Dove/Unilever
Did you find it in the post you made 2 minutes before? ;)